My first car!!! 1970 Camaro SS350

[VanHalenFan5150]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXlby49yg0k

http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad357/PeterHaight/1970%20Camaro%20SS350/?albumview=slideshow

I know I repeat myself a lot and there are inaccuracies in terminology... I don't know a whole lot about cars. Here's the first of many videos and pictures to come of my first car, a legit 1970 Camaro SS350. Matching numbers car with some aftermarket upscale performance parts put in to make it both a comfortable daily driver and a car that's got some muscle to back it up. I have plenty of pictures of the car and it's a matching numbers Super Sport. I'm soooooo happy and thankful that this car is now in my family's possession.

Some basic specs:
-350cid V8 engine with Edelbrock 4-barrel carb, K&M air cleaner and Edelbrock heads, and I think the camshaft has been upgraded (It’s got pretty close to 400hp for sure)
-Power steering/brakes
-Dual exhaust with Flowmasters
-3 speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission
-New stereo system with speakers
-18” Boss rims
-Brand new interior
-Aftermarket installed steel cowl induction hood
-Camaro Gold paint finish (recently redone)
-Frame off restoration (recently done)

Basically, this car is in great shape! Has it’s fair share of blemishes but so do all cars that are 35+ years old, as you all know.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

Stfu, nice first ride

[PETE'S BROTHER]

VERY COOL. great year :hee:

[DONNIEP]

Cool car!! Here's some free advice - at some point you'll probably get married and later your wife will inevitably think it's a good idea to sell the car (and may even have sound reasoning to do so). Yeah, don't do that - you'll regret it later :biggrin:

Seriously, sweet ride dude!

[Nitro Express]

You car was made the same year this was going on. People still yap about the same shit. Not much has changed except the styles. Your car doesn't have to wear out if it's a 1970 Camero.

[VanHalenFan5150]

Hahaha, thanks everybody :D

[Sensible Shoes]

I LOVE early seventies Camaros. Wanted one quite badly.

[SunisinuS]

Congrats! SS FTW!

[ashstralia]

Don't wrap it around a pole, young fella. :)

[qikgts]

Sweet first car! Beats the crap out my mom's old Tercel I had!

[Dan]

Nice Ride She Screamed.:D :hitch:

Please Note:When Having Fun In The Back-Seat,Please Put Down A Cover.:D

That's All.:D

[DONNIEP]

Holy shit! It's Dan!! :biggrin:

[ZahZoo]

Nice Camaro!!

My first car... 65 VW Bug. Don't have time to dig up photos and scan but it looked about like this... except mine was dark blue and had about a half inch of melted surf wax on the roof and running down the sides!!

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/407642.jpg

But damn I miss my third car... 67 Chevelle SS...

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/504/medium/DSCN5571.JPG

[PETE'S BROTHER]

http://lotpro.com/blogphotos/Ford/tn_1974MustangII_02.jpg

i wanted an old mustang in 86 for my first car, pops got me one...

[private parts]

This is what I rode in going through the Wisconsin countryside to the KISS/Motley Crue concert last weekend at Alpine Valley Wisconsin- 67 Toronado. Pretty cool way to travel to a show.:stoned-smiley:

[Nitro Express]

http://lotpro.com/blogphotos/Ford/tn_1974MustangII_02.jpg

i wanted an old mustang in 86 for my first car, pops got me one...

My girlfriend in high school drove one of those.

[Nitro Express]

Nice Camaro!!

My first car... 65 VW Bug. Don't have time to dig up photos and scan but it looked about like this... except mine was dark blue and had about a half inch of melted surf wax on the roof and running down the sides!!

http://images.thesamba.com/vw/gallery/pix/407642.jpg



But damn I miss my third car... 67 Chevelle SS...

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/504/medium/DSCN5571.JPG

I rode in a bug in Grenada that was missing one front fender the pan was rusted out to where you could see the ground through it. The front seats were two milk crates. LOL! Oh well, it got us to the other side of the island and the cab fair was cheap. I thought some of the bugs kids at school drove were pieces of shit. Now pre 67 bugs are collectable. People are even restoring the rusty ones we used to think were too rusty to bother with.

Dr. Zogg's Sex Wax. "The best thing for your stick." melted all over your roof would be something Spicoli would drive. LOL!

[FORD]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G81xwG4xQU

[Coyote]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXlby49yg0k

http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad357/PeterHaight/1970%20Camaro%20SS350/?albumview=slideshow

I know I repeat myself a lot and there are inaccuracies in terminology... I don't know a whole lot about cars. Here's the first of many videos and pictures to come of my first car, a legit 1970 Camaro SS350. Matching numbers car with some aftermarket upscale performance parts put in to make it both a comfortable daily driver and a car that's got some muscle to back it up. I have plenty of pictures of the car and it's a matching numbers Super Sport. I'm soooooo happy and thankful that this car is now in my family's possession.

Some basic specs:
-350cid V8 engine with Edelbrock 4-barrel carb, K&M air cleaner and Edelbrock heads, and I think the camshaft has been upgraded (It’s got pretty close to 400hp for sure)
-Power steering/brakes
-Dual exhaust with Flowmasters
-3 speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission
-New stereo system with speakers
-18” Boss rims
-Brand new interior
-Aftermarket installed steel cowl induction hood
-Camaro Gold paint finish (recently redone)
-Frame off restoration (recently done)

Basically, this car is in great shape! Has it’s fair share of blemishes but so do all cars that are 35+ years old, as you all know.

Congrats on your sweetass car!

WAY better than a 1982 Ford Escort...
http://www.cars-directory.net/pics/ford/escort/1982/ford_escort_a1241814602b2676791.jpg

[PETE'S BROTHER]

Congrats on your sweetass car!

WAY better than a 1982 Ford Escort...
http://www.cars-directory.net/pics/ford/escort/1982/ford_escort_a1241814602b2676791.jpg

ha my dad bought lots of those over the years

[Nitro Express]

ha my dad bought lots of those over the years

It almost sounds like you buy Ford Escorts in a six pack. Ah just buy a couple of them because one ain't enough.

[Nitro Express]

You need some girls to go with your Camero.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

It almost sounds like you buy Ford Escorts in a six pack. Ah just buy a couple of them because one ain't enough.

spare parts for all the shit my brother and sister broke in them

[private parts]

Uh..where's that car wash at?

[FORD]

Uh..where's that car wash at?

Probably Malaysia? :biggrin:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF3zVN3rCu8

[Dan]

First Car This kiwi Ever Had was A 1982 Honda Accord With Rusty Sun-Roof.:D

[IceCreamBlondie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXlby49yg0k

http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad357/PeterHaight/1970%20Camaro%20SS350/?albumview=slideshow

I know I repeat myself a lot and there are inaccuracies in terminology... I don't know a whole lot about cars. Here's the first of many videos and pictures to come of my first car, a legit 1970 Camaro SS350. Matching numbers car with some aftermarket upscale performance parts put in to make it both a comfortable daily driver and a car that's got some muscle to back it up. I have plenty of pictures of the car and it's a matching numbers Super Sport. I'm soooooo happy and thankful that this car is now in my family's possession.

Some basic specs:
-350cid V8 engine with Edelbrock 4-barrel carb, K&M air cleaner and Edelbrock heads, and I think the camshaft has been upgraded (It’s got pretty close to 400hp for sure)
-Power steering/brakes
-Dual exhaust with Flowmasters
-3 speed Turbo-Hydramatic transmission
-New stereo system with speakers
-18” Boss rims
-Brand new interior
-Aftermarket installed steel cowl induction hood
-Camaro Gold paint finish (recently redone)
-Frame off restoration (recently done)

Basically, this car is in great shape! Has it’s fair share of blemishes but so do all cars that are 35+ years old, as you all know.

AWESOME! My first car was a 1970 Chevy Camaro Z28...first year of the body change. Had a vinyl top too! I can't remember all the specs, but it was a helluva fun ride.....!!!

[Zing!]

Zing's first car was a 1970 AMC Gremlin.

[fourthcoming]

1979 Chevy Malibu w/ 350....speckled blue metallic paint job, sunroof....stylin'. Ran great.....too bad I had no idea how to take care of a car at 17.....it unfortunately died an early death coming back from the Diamond david lee Roth show at Jones Beach in July of 1991. R.I.P. Blue Bitch.

[78/84 guy]

74 Petty blue Road Runner. 340 with white stripe down the side. Awesome car. Had it for 2 years. Paid $ 400 for it. Had a little rust. It was all stock and would beat alot of big block cars ! I would kill to have it back. I almost bought one just like it a few years back but had a 69 Charger at the time.

[DONNIEP]

My first car was a Camaro - I'll have to find a picture of it later. But I do have a picture of my first truck. Got her when I was 19. I hope this picture works...

Edit - sorry for there being two pics. I'm trying to figure out tapatalk :)

http://s10.postimage.org/slfilbq7d/Image_Uploaded_By_Tapatalk1348267321_854124.jpg

[VanHalenFan5150]

Cool stuff guys. My dad and I are putting a lot of work into it to straighten some things out on the car. We tuned up the carb because the Camaro was running really rich when I turned it on (big black cloud, lol) and we also fixed the stereo to get the radio working. It needs a lot of work but it's all little stuff! I just got my camera today from photography class so i'll post some pics soon when I get time! :D

[DONNIEP]

Couldn't find a picture of my first car but here's one exactly like it. 1981 Z28, same ugly blue interior and all :) I got this car in '86 and to me it was the coolest thing on Earth. Had some damn good times in that car... But the back seat is tiny and the front seats didn't recline. It was hard to hit the poontang in that car but some things are worth the effort :biggrin:

http://s13.postimage.org/nm4kwnqwn/KGr_Hq_Zi_YE6_G6_Qlj3_BOpd_Wjf_LQ60_3.jpg

[VanHalenFan5150]

I wasn't too fond of the 1981 Z/28's personally, I don't like the badges and trim. But that's just me. This fuckin' loser I go to school with has an abortion '81 Z/28 he made out of an '81 Berlinetta. First gen Z/28 badges, Trans Am bumpers, SS stripes, completely wrong transmission, a 327 from a 68 Impala, etc. Somebody knifed his tires about a month ago in the student parking lot. I kind of felt bad for him, but he's really stupid and even though I wouldn't wish that upon anybody, i'll bet he pissed off one of the jocks at my school. We don't have cameras in the lot either, hence why I won't be driving my car to school! Lmfao.

[DONNIEP]

Dude - look at the car again. See those goofy stripes? See the ugly blue interior? It is kinda goofy looking :) But back in the day it was pretty cool.

[VanHalenFan5150]

Oh I have no doubt it was totally in vogue back in the day, for sure! It's kind of weird when I sit down in my car and turn it on... it's like a person! I get these crazy goosebumps when my car starts up, like the past is becoming a part of me.

[DONNIEP]

Oh I have no doubt it was totally in vogue back in the day, for sure! It's kind of weird when I sit down in my car and turn it on... it's like a person! I get these crazy goosebumps when my car starts up, like the past is becoming a part of me.

In all seriousness I hope you enjoy it. There's nothing like your first car. It'll provide you with drinking stories for your whole life. Now all you need are some vintage Van Halen bootleg CDs - the live stuff from back in the day.

[VanHalenFan5150]

As a matter of fact I used to be in possession of one of the world's largest Van Halen audio and video bootlegs collection spanning all eras of their music (but obviously the best one had more to speak for,) sadly though last summer I experienced a computer crash and lost all of my bootlegs. After that I no longer wished to collect them, and then the House of Bootlegs began to clamp down on their users in a fascist sense... I contributed a lot of bootlegs to their Van Halen board and they banned me because apparently I didn't share enough. I guess 4 whole DVDs and probably 15 audio boots didn't cut it :p

[Nitro Express]

Do you guys remember the ritual of spending all day Saturday washing and polishing your car so you could take it out on the Saturday night cruise? I kept my cars immaculate. I used to get criticized for it because they were always detailed to the max. I would do the finish old school with rubbing compound and carnuba wax. A ton of work but if done right, man would that car look awesome!

I haven't changed. I just spent the last three hours color sanding a new paint job bringing it to show quality.

[Nitro Express]

I wasn't too fond of the 1981 Z/28's personally, I don't like the badges and trim. But that's just me. This fuckin' loser I go to school with has an abortion '81 Z/28 he made out of an '81 Berlinetta. First gen Z/28 badges, Trans Am bumpers, SS stripes, completely wrong transmission, a 327 from a 68 Impala, etc. Somebody knifed his tires about a month ago in the student parking lot. I kind of felt bad for him, but he's really stupid and even though I wouldn't wish that upon anybody, i'll bet he pissed off one of the jocks at my school. We don't have cameras in the lot either, hence why I won't be driving my car to school! Lmfao.

Someone fucked with my car and I found out who it was and I loosened up the oil plug on his oil pan. What's funny is it worked loose, he lost oil and burned his engine up. He had just had his oil changed and he blamed the oil change place and they ended up paying for a new engine. LOL!

[Nitro Express]

My first car was a Camaro - I'll have to find a picture of it later. But I do have a picture of my first truck. Got her when I was 19. I hope this picture works...

Edit - sorry for there being two pics. I'm trying to figure out tapatalk :)

http://s10.postimage.org/slfilbq7d/Image_Uploaded_By_Tapatalk1348267321_854124.jpg

Very nice. Did you actually take it off road or was the big lift kit and big tires just for looks?

[FORD]

FORD's first car.....

http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2011/08/24/21/34/1980_pontiac_sunbird-pic-4042347751326821440.jpeg

No, this ain't an actual picture, but it's about the same model and same color.

Had it about a year, and then some drunken son of a bitch backed his car right out of the VFW parking lot into a very dark street and I had no time to react.

One of my sister's friends who just coincidentally happened to witness the wreck said it was the "first time she ever saw a Sunbird fly" :(

[DONNIEP]

Very nice. Did you actually take it off road or was the big lift kit and big tires just for looks?

If I had taken this truck off road it would have ripped the driveshafts out of it :) This truck started off as a 2 wheel drive Ranger pickup. A little small truck that was low to the ground. In this picture it has a 302, C6 trans and the entire suspension is from a '78 Bronco. Every nut, bolt, hanger, spring and axle. And the chick is one more fine piece of ass too. And she still is, even though she's 41 :biggrin:

[Nitro Express]

If I had taken this truck off road it would have ripped the driveshafts out of it :) This truck started off as a 2 wheel drive Ranger pickup. A little small truck that was low to the ground. In this picture it has a 302, C6 trans and the entire suspension is from a '78 Bronco. Every nut, bolt, hanger, spring and axle. And the chick is one more fine piece of ass too. And she still is, even though she's 41 :biggrin:

I raise my glass to the pretty girl. Cheers!

[DONNIEP]

FORD's first car.....

http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2011/08/24/21/34/1980_pontiac_sunbird-pic-4042347751326821440.jpeg(

Holy Shit!!! One of my girlfriends in high school had that exact same car!!! I worked on that motherfucker all the damn time! It was her first car and she loved that thing.

[DONNIEP]

I raise my glass to the pretty girl. Cheers!

And a toast back at you. The chick is married to a guy who's almost 70. What a waste. Especially seein' as how that's my first wife :biggrin:

[Nitro Express]

My first ride was a 1976 MADE IN TOLEDO, OHIO, Jeep CJ 7. Fun in the summer. Cold as Siberia in the winter. The worst snow car ever if your front hubs weren't locked. You couldn't keep it on the road unless it was in four wheel drive. People used to steal my doors as a gag.

[Nitro Express]

And a toast back at you. The chick is married to a guy who's almost 70. What a waste. Especially seein' as how that's my first wife :biggrin:

At least you enjoyed her when she was in her prime.

[DONNIEP]

At least you enjoyed her when she was in her prime.

Did you see that ass? Ah yes, those were the good ol' days :biggrin:

[DONNIEP]

My first ride was a 1976 MADE IN TOLEDO, OHIO, Jeep CJ 7. Fun in the summer. Cold as Siberia in the winter. The worst snow car ever if your front hubs weren't locked. You couldn't keep it on the road unless it was in four wheel drive. People used to steal my doors as a gag.

One of my closest buddies had a Jeep in high school. Orange. It was the coolest thing on the fucking road. We spent more time riding in that Jeep...fucked up, radio blaring and, we thought, owning the fucking world. You can't buy memories like that...

[DONNIEP]

On a different note, what car have you guys - and gals - owned that you wish you still had?

[Nitro Express]

1987 Porsche Targa. I miss the air cooled Porsches. You hardly see them on the road anymore.

[Nitro Express]

Did you see that ass? Ah yes, those were the good ol' days :biggrin:

Oh hell yeah. I'm a ass and leg man. Bottoms Up!

[Nitro Express]

One of my closest buddies had a Jeep in high school. Orange. It was the coolest thing on the fucking road. We spent more time riding in that Jeep...fucked up, radio blaring and, we thought, owning the fucking world. You can't buy memories like that...

Oh everyone loved my ride but it sucked at 7:00AM when the plastic windows on the soft top were covered with ice. You can scrape glass, you can't plastic. I finally put a NAPA block heater in the thing and plugged it in over night to speed the morning warmup. When the weather got warm that top came off and I had a little bra top just in case of a rain storm.

[Nitro Express]

One of my friends had a cool first car. Grandma passed away so he got her old car. It was a pristine 1961 Chrysler with major funk and wings on the back. Huge bench seats. We used to all pile in it and go to lunch during the lunch break. We got drunk in that car plenty of times. We called it the Cosmic Comet. LOL! I remember he got it stuck in the snow and he was trying to rock it out with the push button transmission on the dash. It was useless.

[DONNIEP]

1987 Porsche Targa. I miss the air cooled Porsches. You hardly see them on the road anymore.

This one's gonna get me laughed at..1986 Pontiac Fiero SE V6, silver. That car handled like it was on rails.

[Nitro Express]

This one's gonna get me laughed at..1986 Pontiac Fiero SE V6, silver. That car handled like it was on rails.

A Porsche 911 could bite your ass if you didn't know what you were doing. You always had to have some gas on in corners and the engine being that far back could make the rear end spin you around but if you knew what you were doing you could power slide it. It was just a fun car but then I'm a Porsche guy. I don't like the new ones.

[Nitro Express]

the Fiero was mid engine wasn't it? It's really the best place to put the engine for cornering. What I liked about the Porsche is you could drop the engine out of it pretty easy and get at everything. I would just go over everything when the engine was out of it and that would usually eliminate having to dick with it while in the car.

[DONNIEP]

the Fiero was mid engine wasn't it? It's really the best place to put the engine for cornering. What I liked about the Porsche is you could drop the engine out of it pretty easy and get at everything. I would just go over everything when the engine was out of it and that would usually eliminate having to dick with it while in the car.

The Fiero was mid engined. There were no real problems with the six cylinder cars. They were low, sleek and still look good. The prices for a good used one have went thru the roof. And you could drop the whole rear cradle out within 45 minutes if you knew what you were doing and swap out a clutch in no time.

[Nitro Express]

You also don't have all the engine and exhaust heat coming through into the passenger compartment. You don't have the front end loaded down with weight. You have nice light steering in fact you don't even need power steering in a rear or mid engined car. In fact, I prefer it that way.

My favorite cars are really well made stripped down mid or rear engined cars. I don't need power this and that. Then it's thrust to weight. A light car is really just as fun to drive as a big gas guzzling monster.

[DONNIEP]

And here's the one I really wish I'd kept. That's a Buick Reatta. Sweet fucking car.

8989

8988

[Nitro Express]

I didn't know Buick made convertibles. At least in the modern cars. For some reason the Buick brand caught on in China. For whatever reason the Chinese are crazy for Buicks and it kind of set the brand off here in the states. It looks like they are positioning it to be almost a luxury brand now. My dad always said the car he wished he still had was a Buick convertible that had the Buick 215 V8 in it. That engine later became the Rover V8 and was popular in Britain. Pontiac is gone. Oldsmobile was a dated brand excpet my mom did drive a 66 Toranado that was cool. It will be interesting to see where Buick goes. I never liked Cadillacs or where Lutz took the brand. They always seemed cheesy.

[DONNIEP]

That Reatta was a kick ass car. It was almost as cool as the Cadillac Allante. I wish I'd kept the Reatta.

[Nitro Express]

I always liked the sound of the Buick/Rover V8. LOL!

[DONNIEP]

One more shot of the Ranger - just for the guys :biggrin:

8990

[Nitro Express]

One more shot of the Ranger - just for the guys :biggrin:

8990

You could throw a mattress up on that hood and uhhh.

[DONNIEP]

You could throw a mattress up on that hood and uhhh.

Nah, I banged it out on the hood of the Z28...damn those were good times :biggrin:

[Nitro Express]

Nah, I banged it out on the hood of the Z28...damn those were good times :biggrin:



We's just a bunch of dirty monkeys.

[DONNIEP]

Peaches...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvAnQqVJ3XQ

[Coyote]

On a different note, what car have you guys - and gals - owned that you wish you still had?

Haven't had one like that yet...
So far, all my rides have been... umm... affordable. :biggrin:

[fourthcoming]

This one's gonna get me laughed at..1986 Pontiac Fiero SE V6, silver. That car handled like it was on rails.

Nothing to laugh at Donnie.....those cars were fun as shit. A buddy of mine had one with a stick......it was like a high powered go cart.....so much fun. Also joy rode a stolen one with a couple of degenerate friends when I was about 15 or 16.....didn't know it was stolen at the time but I guess I should have when we were flying through the air over jumps in the sand pits. Another fun, small, great handling, kick ass car was the old school Mazda RX-7.......sooooooooo much fun.

[Angel]

My first car was a 72 Toyota Corona SE. That little thing was a machine. Perfect car for Vancouver Island roads, including the logging roads. Wasn't a 4x4, but it was amazing where you could go off road. I'll never forget going past loggers and seeing them staring in awe trying to figure out how the hell we got that thing up to their camps.

Discovered some fantastic outdoor sex spots with that little baby.

I would LOVE to have that car again, you could drive forever on a tank of gas...unlike my current fucking pig.

[Momshell]

I loved my first car - a red 1980 Camaro - bought it in 1987 quite used but it looked new. I washed and waxed that thing every weekend. It had a silver fake leather interior, automatic windows (big deal at that time), a sunroof, and an amazing stereo which I bought (probably hot) from a flea market. My mom would hear the VH from in the house when I'd be coming up the road :)
Of course the car only lasted me about 3 years before the V8 engine started going, one cylinder at a time. I would joke that I had a V7, then a V6.......
Damn good times!!

[Matt White]

MY 1st car?

A 1972 Ventura II...........................

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/791000-791999/791178_2_full.jpg

[jhale667]

Mine was a '73 Chevy Nova SS...if it had been in this good shape I probably would've kept it...

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h217/jhale667/1004chp_01_o1973_chevy_novagmpp_zz3_zpsb39024bd.jp g

[PETE'S BROTHER]

http://www.phoenixgraphix.com/transam/1981tb.jpghttp://http://www.phoenixgraphix.com/transam/1981tb.jpg

ended up replacing the boat anchor with a 400 and a shaker hood. loved flyin' around in this car

[Dan]

http://www.phoenixgraphix.com/transam/1981tb.jpghttp://http://www.phoenixgraphix.com/transam/1981tb.jpg

ended up replacing the boat anchor with a 400 and a shaker hood. loved flyin' around in this car

Bro,Did You have To Drive It Sitting In The Back Seat?

[Sensible Shoes]

My first car was a '68 Chevy Malibu - ancient by today's standards when I drove it in '75. But it was sturdy and great for a bunch of drunken H.S. grads to fly around dirt roads and get stuck in a ditch here and there. ZZ top and Lynyrd Skynyrd were brand new and were played only on the album stations, and Van Halen was still playing parties in Pasadena! But those were great times.

Oh yes, it only had AM radio.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

Bro,Did You have To Drive It Sitting In The Back Seat?

t-tops had to be out for me to sit up straight :hee:

[DONNIEP]

I could be mistaken but doesn't Nitro own a Countach?

[envy_me]

Damn, I wish I had a picture of my first bus :D

[DONNIEP]

Speaking of bad ass cars the Barrett Jackson auction is on Speed. It's almost as good as pron :)

[DONNIEP]

Damn, I wish I had a picture of my first bus :D

I just cannot imagine not having a car. I and most of my friends got our first cars before we even turned 16. Couldn't drive them - well, not legally - but we had 'em ready to go when we turned 16.

[envy_me]

I just cannot imagine not having a car. I and most of my friends got our first cars before we even turned 16. Couldn't drive them - well, not legally - but we had 'em ready to go when we turned 16.

My brother drove me around today and I wanted to drive the last bit, which is like 200 meters. It took me two tries to start the car. I know in US automatic is the thing, but here we drive with the stick. Starting is a nightmare, cause you have to combine two pedals. Let's just say he wasn't impressed with my driving.

Did I tell you about my first and last time on the highway? I was with my parents, and mom asked me to close window. We almost drove of the road, I lost the control of the wheel cause I focused on closing the window.

Did I mention how much I HATE driving?

Oh sorry, I don't want to rain on anyones parade. Good luck with your new car!

[PETE'S BROTHER]

12 cyl storytime!!! ;)

[DONNIEP]

I know in US automatic is the thing, but here we drive with the stick. Starting is a nightmare, cause you have to combine two pedals.

You mean one of those straight drive, manual transmission thingies? Yeah, I think I saw one of those once. Have to combine two pedals, huh? :biggrin:

[Angel]

I just cannot imagine not having a car. I and most of my friends got our first cars before we even turned 16. Couldn't drive them - well, not legally - but we had 'em ready to go when we turned 16.

I got my first car when I was 19. Only had it for 1.5 years, but then couldn't afford the repairs.

Lived without one for 25 years. Had my license again and a car within 2 years of moving to this shithole city. The transit here sucks shit.

[Nitro Express]

You mean one of those straight drive, manual transmission thingies? Yeah, I think I saw one of those once. Have to combine two pedals, huh? :biggrin:

Some over here still drive with two sticks.

[Nitro Express]

I just cannot imagine not having a car. I and most of my friends got our first cars before we even turned 16. Couldn't drive them - well, not legally - but we had 'em ready to go when we turned 16.

You can get a pilot's license at age 12. You can actually fly an airplane before getting a driver's license. In the 70's the middle class in this country could afford a small airplane. That has changed.

[Nitro Express]

Did anyone drive three on the tree? We had an old pickup that had three on the tree. I have a 1930 Ford with the old crash box. Square toothed gears too. You have to double clutch it. I taught my daughter how to drive stick with it because if you can drive an old crash box; especially downshifting into second without grinding it, you can drive any manual transmission on the planet.

[ashstralia]

Yeah, I had an old Holden ht with 186 ci 6 cyl and 3 on the tree.

Great car.

Edit; put triple carbs on it, bargain muscle car! :)

[DONNIEP]

Did anyone drive three on the tree? We had an old pickup that had three on the tree. I have a 1930 Ford with the old crash box. Square toothed gears too. You have to double clutch it. I taught my daughter how to drive stick with it because if you can drive an old crash box; especially downshifting into second without grinding it, you can drive any manual transmission on the planet.

Yeah, we had an old pickup with three on the tree too. Seems like it would be hard to drive but it's really not.

[Nitro Express]

When Cheech burns rubber going through three on the tree cracks me up. It also makes me want a 64 Impala. First gear......Second gear...... You got some speed man? LOL!

[DONNIEP]

Hey Nitro, don't you have a Countach?

[Nitro Express]

Yup. I have a white 1979 LP400S. No fuel injection. It has six Weber side draft carburetors. I converted it from two distributors to one. Other than that it's stock. The big problem with these cars is finding parts is very hard; especially body trim parts. They don't make them anymore. As time goes on these cars will become more and more collectable and the value will go up. That's a no brainer. So I baby it and try to preserve what's original on it. I drive it enough to keep it from going to pot but I don't think I will take it on a big road trip again (I drove to Mount Rushmore in it).

[DONNIEP]

Yup. I have a white 1979 LP400S. No fuel injection. It has six Weber side draft carburetors. I converted it from two distributors to one. Other than that it's stock. The big problem with these cars is finding parts is very hard; especially body trim parts. They don't make them anymore.

Red interior or brown? I'd give my left nut for a white on white one...

[Nitro Express]

Red interior or brown? I'd give my left nut for a white on white one...

The dash is covered in black leather and the seats and door panels is a white cream color. I bought the car in Florida and hauled it to Idaho in a truck where my cousin fixed the engine. Because it didn't run I got it for $40,000. Everything else on it was good and the leather hasn't shrunk or cracked. I baby the leather with Meguires leather conditioner. I'm running Amsoil in it. The Countach is unique because the engine oil is also the transmission lubiricant so its like a motorcycle that way.

These cars are well built. If you let them warm up and keep the coolant and lubricant on schedule and don't let the gas go stale, you usually have no problems. They are pretty reliable actually. I run some Lucas Ethanol treatment in it to deal with the 10% ethanol in our gas and it has a fuel stabilizer so it helps keep the gas fresh. The car gets around 7MPG so emptying the fuel tank is no problem. LOL! Oh and I keep it on a battery tender and have a battery disconnect switch.

Do those things and it's problem free so far.

[Dan]

Yeah, I had an old Holden ht with 186 ci 6 cyl and 3 on the tree.

Great car.

Edit; put triple carbs on it, bargain muscle car! :)

Golden In A Holden.:D

[DONNIEP]

Holy shit - it's Dan! :)

[DONNIEP]

The dash is covered in black leather and the seats and door panels is a white cream color. I bought the car in Florida and hauled it to Idaho in a truck where my cousin fixed the engine. Because it didn't run I got it for $40,000. Everything else on it was good and the leather hasn't shrunk or cracked. I baby the leather with Meguires leather conditioner. I'm running Amsoil in it. The Countach is unique because the engine oil is also the transmission lubiricant so its like a motorcycle that way.

These cars are well built. If you let them warm up and keep the coolant and lubricant on schedule and don't let the gas go stale, you usually have no problems. They are pretty reliable actually. I run some Lucas Ethanol treatment in it to deal with the 10% ethanol in our gas and it has a fuel stabilizer so it helps keep the gas fresh. The car gets around 7MPG so emptying the fuel tank is no problem. LOL! Oh and I keep it on a battery tender and have a battery disconnect switch.

Do those things and it's problem free so far.

Yours doesn't have the side skirts on it, does it?

[Nitro Express]

Yes it has the fender well extensions and the big ass magnesium wheels and the rear spoiler. I think the spoiler was a factory option you had to pay extra for. The car drives like a big go cart actually and you get lots of wind and engine noise. It's not exactly seek and sophisticated. The big wow factor is downshifting and hitting the gas. Much fun on two lane highways passing slow poke RV's. You get lot's of torque at high RPM's with no turbo lag. The Lamborghini V-12 is just a great no nonsense engine. It's very thirsty though. It also makes a popping/crackling sound when you let off the gas but it's just he nature of the beast. I thought I had an engine problem but they all sound that way. A tune-up is the process of just deciding to stop. You can fiddle with the adjustments forever and in the back of your mind you think you can get it to run a little better. These cars are a real mind fuck that way.

[DONNIEP]

Does it look like this?

8992

[Dan]

My Next car.:hitch:

Walkinshaw enhanced 365kw E3 HSV LPI Clubsport with 3inch bimodal exhaust launch & drive by-HD


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mefUquPhRvo

[Nitro Express]

Mine is just like it except the wheels are not painted. They are unpainted magnesium. What's funny is up in the front trunk where the battery is there is a little donut tire as a spare. For shits and grins I put it on the rear and it looked funny as hell.

I think white is the best looking color actually. Red is for Ferraris. Black hides the lines. Countachs look very sexy in white. It's very cool to come out and see it parked looking cool and realizing it's your car. I still can't believe I actually own one.

[DONNIEP]

My Next car.:hitch:

Walkinshaw enhanced 365kw E3 HSV LPI Clubsport with 3inch bimodal exhaust launch & drive by-HD


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mefUquPhRvo

The steering wheel's on the wrong side!! :biggrin:

[Dan]

The steering wheel's on the wrong side!! :biggrin:

How Dare You.:D

[DONNIEP]

Mine is just like it except the wheels are not painted. They are unpainted magnesium. What's funny is up in the front trunk where the battery is there is a little donut tire as a spare. For shits and grins I put it on the rear and it looked funny as hell.

I think white is the best looking color actually. Red is for Ferraris. Black hides the lines. Countachs look very sexy in white. It's very cool to come out and see it parked looking cool and realizing it's your car. I still can't believe I actually own one.

I thought that's what yours looked like. Fuck, I'm jealous. You should post some pictures so I can really hate you :biggrin:

[Nitro Express]

I think I could get $100,000 out of it now if I sold it. More people are starting to collect cars as investments. People want to buy real things now since the banks fucked them over on the paper investments. The 70's stuff is now quite collectable. The corvette marked is real wild. You can't go wrong there.

[Nitro Express]

I thought that's what yours looked like. Fuck, I'm jealous. You should post some pictures so I can really hate you :biggrin:

I have a picture of it with buffalo all around it in Yellowstone Park. My leg about fell off because you can't go fast and the traffic is slow. The clutch is like a stiff truck clutch. I actually got a cramp in my leg and sore arms (no power steering).

Please don't gore my car. LOL! We have a lot of winding mountain roads around here so it's pretty fun. Right now is the best time to drive it around because the tourist season is over. I don't drive fast at night because I really don't want to hit a deer.

[DONNIEP]

I think I could get $100,000 out of it now if I sold it. More people are starting to collect cars as investments. People want to buy real things now since the banks fucked them over on the paper investments. The 70's stuff is now quite collectable. The corvette marked is real wild. You can't go wrong there.

The money's out there - they were spending it like crazy at the Barrett Jackson today :)

The most exotic thing I've ever driven is a Testarossa. It was simply awesome - almost as good as fuckin'. But even that car doesn't have the same visual impact that the Countach has.

[Nitro Express]

I think all of the Lamborghinis are good cars. If you can find a good used one the maintenance is not bad. Most people buy these cars drive them for awhile and store them. They usually have low miles. The big problem is sour gas front the car not being ran. Also, get the OEM number on parts because al lot of them were purchased from other suppliers. You can save a lot of money there. There isn't much fragile on these cars.

I think you could put 300,000 miles on a Countach and not really have major problems. Just don't rev it cold and don't red line it. The worst thing you can do is fire it up and rev the hell out of it because the engine sounds cool. I bet that's how the engine was ruined in the first place.

[DONNIEP]

Unfortunately a Countach is out of my price range :) Hell, if my daughter gets any more expensive I might have to trade down to a moped. Damn, how times change...

[Nitro Express]

The money's out there - they were spending it like crazy at the Barrett Jackson today :)

The most exotic thing I've ever driven is a Testarossa. It was simply awesome - almost as good as fuckin'. But even that car doesn't have the same visual impact that the Countach has.

I've sat in a Testarossa but never driven one. I liked the looks of them at first but they look dated to me now. My favorite Ferrari is still the Daytona. The Countach just made such an impact I think it will be the more collectable car in the future.

[Nitro Express]

Unfortunately a Countach is out of my price range :) Hell, if my daughter gets any more expensive I might have to trade down to a moped. Damn, how times change...

I only came out ahead because I had a family member who could re-sleave the engine. I helped him. He restores aircraft engines. We bought the new sleeves from a place in Phoenix, AZ and they weren't too bad price wise. It just cost me what the parts cost. If I had to pay someone to do it I'm sure it would have been real expensive. I remember hearing it fire up the first time and got a hard on. LOL! I let everyone in the shop drive it and I was praying nobody wrecked it.

You can drive some expensive stuff but the catch is you have to wrench it yourself. Most people don't have the know how, tools or want to put that much effort and time into it.

[Nitro Express]

I want to make a copy of Cheech's Love Machine Impala. I do have one of those little chrome chain steering wheels. I just need to find the right rat to put it on. I kind of think the trend now of leaving the car body all rough and bringing the engine, drive train, suspension, and brakes to modern standards is cool. What's funny is I built me a paint booth this summer and now I don't want to paint the next project. LOL! I want rolling corrosion with dingo balls now.

This shit really is just rolling art. You can get to A to Z and that's transportation and then you have rolling art. I think with the economy being bad people are driving old cars more. I see some rough stuff from even the 60's rolling around in some of the agricultural towns. No money, old rides. You know this will inspire some hot rodding. Usually the most creative times are times when people don't have money.

[DONNIEP]

You know what I'd like to have a replica of? The Wagon Queen Family Truckster. No shit. I'd take my daughter to school in it every damn day :)

[Nitro Express]

LOL! My parents had a Cadillac Eldorado that would run when you turned off the ignition just like the Wagon Queen Family Truckster. That car was one fucking lemon. My mom said to never buy a blue car because every one she ever owned was a lemon. That Cadillac was blue. Also the electric seats broke just like in Plains Trains and Automobiles. Ha Ha that had to be one of the funniest car scenes ever.

[fourthcoming]

I loved my first car - a red 1980 Camaro - bought it in 1987 quite used but it looked new. I washed and waxed that thing every weekend. It had a silver fake leather interior, automatic windows (big deal at that time), a sunroof, and an amazing stereo which I bought (probably hot) from a flea market. My mom would hear the VH from in the house when I'd be coming up the road :)
Of course the car only lasted me about 3 years before the V8 engine started going, one cylinder at a time. I would joke that I had a V7, then a V6.......
Damn good times!!

Nice....definitely a Long island thing here.....did you cruise DPA with it back in the day?.......lol

[Nitro Express]

I've made some good car deals over the years buying ones with shitty paint but mechanically good. I've seen some horribly abused cars with good paint actually. Some people only care about how it looks and hardly change the oil and never lube or change the transmission or differential oil.

If it's got factory original paint in bad shape but it's good mechanically you will spend less on the paint job and getting the interior redone than you will fixing neglected problems. I've seen some horrid mechanical abuse on show cars.

[Nitro Express]

V8 engine started going, one cylinder at a time. I would joke that I had a V7, then a V6.......
Those GM V8's usually can go a lot of miles if the oil has been changed and they haven't been overheated. One thing that can reduce how long an engine lasts is not properly breaking it in. If someone bought that Camero new and drove the hell out of it new without properly breaking it in first, a loss of compression later is the usual problem. Not uncommon in sporty cars.

[Nitro Express]

Speaking of oil changes. LOL!

[ZahZoo]

Did anyone drive three on the tree? We had an old pickup that had three on the tree. I have a 1930 Ford with the old crash box. Square toothed gears too. You have to double clutch it. I taught my daughter how to drive stick with it because if you can drive an old crash box; especially downshifting into second without grinding it, you can drive any manual transmission on the planet.

Yep driven a few with a 3 on the tree... Toughest to learn was a heavy truck with dual speed axles... not only bangin gears but coordinating the upshifts and downshifts inbetween the regular gears. Builds a strong clutch leg though...

[PETE'S BROTHER]

hate that twitchy jerky clutch leg ya get every once in a while drivin' stick

[Zing!]

Do you guys remember the ritual of spending all day Saturday washing and polishing your car so you could take it out on the Saturday night cruise? I kept my cars immaculate. I used to get criticized for it because they were always detailed to the max. I would do the finish old school with rubbing compound and carnuba wax. A ton of work but if done right, man would that car look awesome!

I haven't changed. I just spent the last three hours color sanding a new paint job bringing it to show quality.

The smaller the circle, the bigger the shine, dude!

[DONNIEP]

The smaller the circle, the bigger the shine, dude!

Damn, I used to spend hours and hours just working on waxing the car and truck. I broke down and bought an orbital buffer when I was 17 - good professional one that weighed like 10 pounds or so. Wouldn't burn the paint because it was an orbital. So you could polish and wax in no time. The pain in the ass was the damn truck - you had to wash the frame and all of the suspension since it was hangin' out in the open.

[ZahZoo]

hate that twitchy jerky clutch leg ya get every once in a while drivin' stick

I remember that well... especially sitting traffic for an hour plus in Silicon Valley in the early 80's just to travel 18 miles to work. Had a 78 Toyota Celica hatchback then with a 5 speed manual as my commute car. When you arrived you'd walk sorta funny until your left leg muscles loosened back up from clutching 400 times in stop and go traffic.

[Nitro Express]

hate that twitchy jerky clutch leg ya get every once in a while drivin' stick

I was backing a big truck fully loaded with pallets of brick. I was wearing cowboy boots and the old truck had a slick worn clutch pedal. Well I'm trying to ease her back and my foot slipped off the clutch. It wasn't pretty.

Driving trucks can be bad but that old Ford kills me. It's got a mowhair seat so you can't slide and adjust your position. You are stuck like velcro. Then there is no power steering. You get a workout in parking lots. Then you have to double clutch.

I hate driving in parades. That's the worst. All that coasting and clutching cramps your leg up bad. The car hates it too because not enough air blows through so you can overheat. One parade I drove in it was 110 degrees. In a old black car with no air conditioning with engine and exhaust heat coming in, it was miserable.

A friend of mine was driving his 32 Oldsmobile sedan. He pulled up next to me and his kids bailed out because the car was hotter than hell. I'm in front of his radiator cap and it blows like a geyser. Scared the shit out on me. I didn't boil over and I'm giving him shit about his car blowing. I fired mine up and I'm driving it back to the trailer and at a stoplight mine blew.

[Nitro Express]

Yep driven a few with a 3 on the tree... Toughest to learn was a heavy truck with dual speed axles... not only bangin gears but coordinating the upshifts and downshifts inbetween the regular gears. Builds a strong clutch leg though...

Then you have the asshole behind you honking their horn. What they don't realize is you are working your ass off trying to get that loaded truck up to speed. Then they pull in front of you and slow down. What they don't realize now is you can't stop on a dime and if they hit the brakes you are going to drive right up their ass.

[Nitro Express]

I remember that well... especially sitting traffic for an hour plus in Silicon Valley in the early 80's just to travel 18 miles to work. Had a 78 Toyota Celica hatchback then with a 5 speed manual as my commute car. When you arrived you'd walk sorta funny until your left leg muscles loosened back up from clutching 400 times in stop and go traffic.

I used to drive a big double axle dump truck for a job. I would drive that all day and then get in my little Mazda and the clutch and shifter felt like little toys. It felt like a toy car.

[Nitro Express]

Damn, I used to spend hours and hours just working on waxing the car and truck. I broke down and bought an orbital buffer when I was 17 - good professional one that weighed like 10 pounds or so. Wouldn't burn the paint because it was an orbital. So you could polish and wax in no time. The pain in the ass was the damn truck - you had to wash the frame and all of the suspension since it was hangin' out in the open.

I found out the hard way paint is the thinnest at the edge of the panel or curve. I burned right through the paint one time. I think I have fucked up enough with paint jobs over the years I know what I'm doing now. LOL!

[Nitro Express]

The smaller the circle, the bigger the shine, dude!

Wax on. Wax off.

[motherchicken]

My first car was a '68 Chevy Malibu - ancient by today's standards when I drove it in '75. But it was sturdy and great for a bunch of drunken H.S. grads to fly around dirt roads and get stuck in a ditch here and there. ZZ top and Lynyrd Skynyrd were brand new and were played only on the album stations, and Van Halen was still playing parties in Pasadena! But those were great times.

Oh yes, it only had AM radio.
My 68 Malibu (we called it the chicken after Malibu chicken an entree from Sizzlers restaraunt) was a real turd when I bought it but it was my favorite car ever. It was a low rider with cragar ss wheels white walls and a chain steering wheel. With rainbow tape for pin striping. The motor was shot and it had a three speed manual on the column. My dad owned an auto parts store so a floor shift and an engine rebuild came quickly. I traded the cragars for some U S Indy's wide in back skinny front. Raised up the back like a stink bug. (Quite popular style at that time.) Scored an S S hood sanded her down primered her gray and black put in a pioneer super tuner fm and 8 track and she was stylin' and profilin'. Had her for 6 years before I traded it for a 1970 Buick GS455. The buick was fast but I still miss the chicken. That was about 100 cars ago. I drive a Mazda Tribute now. Dependable but boring.

[motherchicken]

I hate driving in parades. That's the worst. All that coasting and clutching cramps your leg up bad. The car hates it too because not enough air blows through so you can overheat. One parade I drove in it was 110 degrees. In a old black car with no air conditioning with engine and exhaust heat coming in, it was miserable.

A friend of mine was driving his 32 Oldsmobile sedan. He pulled up next to me and his kids bailed out because the car was hotter than hell. I'm in front of his radiator cap and it blows like a geyser. Scared the shit out on me. I didn't boil over and I'm giving him shit about his car blowing. I fired mine up and I'm driving it back to the trailer and at a stoplight mine blew.
Try riding a Harley in one of these huge rides like the Love Ride. Constantly clutching the bike till you can barely pull the clutch in after moving a block every 15 minutes. I'm really suprised more riders don't rear end each other at the start. The big crashes always happen getting off the freeway or pullling into the parking lot at the end.

[Nitro Express]

Try riding a Harley in one of these huge rides like the Love Ride. Constantly clutching the bike till you can barely pull the clutch in after moving a block every 15 minutes. I'm really suprised more riders don't rear end each other at the start. The big crashes always happen getting off the freeway or pullling into the parking lot at the end.

That's when you want a suicide shifter. Leave it in first and let your leg do all the work but if you are constantly stopping and having to steady the bike, a suicide setup would be a bitch. You would be throwing the shifter in and out of neutral all the time.

[Nitro Express]

The last parade I drove in I was behind a car throwing salt water toffee. Kids were just running out in front of my car and I was hitting the brakes to keep from running over some of them. Then this stupid ass adult runs right in front of me. I hit that old Sparton Aaaooogahhh horn. It's loud as shit if you are right in front of it. That scared the shit out of him. His eyes got real big. Some stupid ass 30 something daddy runs out in front of a moving car without looking to get a piece of candy. This is why the nation is circling the drain.

It's bad enough driving a Model A in a parade but driving a Model T is a real bitch. You have high and low and only rear brakes. I can lock the wheels up on the Model A. It has mechanical brakes but I keep them adjusted and they are on all four wheels.

On the T you have to push in a pedal to go and to stop you have to let the pedal out and hit the brake pedal. The throttle is on the steering column. Pushing that pedal in and out and braking is a bitch. I hate driving old cars at a snails pace and the car starts rebelling by overheating. Old cars like to crusie actually they don't like to putter around in parades.

Driving a Model T 50 MPH is probably the scariest thing you will ever drive that fast. As soon as it get over 40 I start to shit a brick. I've gone over 120 in some modern sports cars and felt comfortable (Z rated tires of course) but a Model T over 40 is some scary shit. It's all relative.

[motherchicken]

That's when you want a suicide shifter. Leave it in first and let your leg do all the work but if you are constantly stopping and having to steady the bike, a suicide setup would be a bitch. You would be throwing the shifter in and out of neutral all the time.
I believe the reason that's called a suicide shift is because you tend to put your foot down if the bike starts to lean. It leans to the left, you take your foot off the clutch pedal, your bike lurches forward and you get smacked by whatever happens to be passing by. I was sitting on an old shovelhead in my garage revving the engine with the bike in gear and the clutch pulled in and the clutch cable snaps. The bike skys, I let go and it took off across the street and took out some old wooden fence and a couple garbage cans . It was kind of a rat bike anyway and the owner was glad it didn't happen to him at a signal light. He patched it up, fixed the clutch cable and rode it for the rest of the year before the engine vibrated itself apart like those old scooters had a habit of.

[Momshell]

Nice....definitely a Long island thing here.....did you cruise DPA with it back in the day?.......lol

haha! It was definitely very LonGisland! Didn't live in Suffolk at the time - grew up in Glen Cove, so I cruised down to Pryble's beach, all of the parking lots and garages, etc. Also loved taking it to Jones Beach, field 5 I believe. :)

[motherchicken]

I wish I had been born a few years earlier. My brother had the coolest rides in the late sixties early seventies. A 51 Ford that would be considered a rat rod today. A 50 Merc slammed to the ground with lake pipes. Several 50 Plymouth businessmans coupes. One was a hi-boy gasser. A mid 60's Dodge Dart GT 273. 57 Chevy with a fiberglass tilt front end with the snorkel hood scoop. 327 with a single four barrel on a hi rise edelbrock manifold with the velocity stack air cleaner. Fenderwell headers, big fat back tires that he actually could spin the rims inside the tires if he got too much traction. 66 or 67 GTO 389 with a 4 speed. And several I have forgotten. And I doubt he ever paid more than 500 bucks for any of them.

[motherchicken]

Somebody here has a Lamborghini? Peter De Luise used to have a hi performance auto business in the Hi Desert of So Cal in the 80s. He had a Lambo that looked like a million dollar car but ran like shit. It might have been a Countach. Not very good advertizing in my opinion.