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Drifter   | Autos | 06-25-2001 |
| TWC and some of you others will like this topic - I think we've touched on this a bit in past threads.... Tell us about your favorite/first vehicle you had. My folks had a 1970 Pontiac Catalina when I was growing up. My sister, then my brother, and finally myself each learned how to drive in this car. The car was loaded with a couple of cool "new" features - wipers that would fold down below the visible windshield when you turned them off; a radio antenna that was built into the windshield (two little blue lines that ran down the middle of the windshield). Of course, the wipers were always stuck and the radio signal didn't come in worth beans, so I'm sure Pontiac discontinued these features on future cars. Anyway, by the time I was 16 my brother had installed an 8-track tape player with a Realistic Power Booster, and big speakers in the rear dash. You always had to remember to turn the Power Booster off before the stereo or you would get terrible feedback blowing through the speakers. The car was great, a classic low rider that would fit 6 people comfortably and with a trunk big enough to fit Denny Green after a buffet lunch. She ran on Premium Regular gasoline and dad would have to take her out in the country to "burn the carbon off" every so often while exceeding the speed limit by just a few MPH. | ||
| happy | Re: Autos | 06-25-2001 |
| HI ALL! Y'all have had quite the conversations!! I do like this topic "autos" - my dad used to own a - hell, I don't remember the make or model, just the color - it was green - you could hear him comin' before he would reach the 7th Avenue Bridge - and we lived on 10th...my friends and I would say, "here comes the putt-putt." 1 1/2 years ago I owned a 1998 Dodge Dakota 4x4 - 5 on the floor - loved that truck. I now own a 1989 Cutlass Supreme - and recently learned how to put new motor mounts on it. No warranties, don't ya know. But, I have the title - that's a good feeling. Next time I have to change the oil and filter I may be cussin' 'cuz it sits so low to the ground and I usually get more oil on my face than in the pan - but I get over it. Be happy! | ||
| Skipper | Re: Autos | 06-25-2001 |
| Good Topic Drifter, she was a '74 Ford pickup(orange), I seem to remember cleaning one of the Cruiser's expulsions off the side of said truck, as the frozen purge came off with an ice scraper so did the orange paint, that made for an interesting conversation with dad a few day's later...Ivan and I had many a good time in that vehicle(no, not that way you sickos!) I will be teeing off in TH at 8:30 am Saturday Heritage Day's weekend, I know for a fact there are many tee times available, I am golfing with my wife's relatives and my son, please hold all cat calls and expletives aimed at me until they have left.... | ||
| webman | Re: Autos | 06-25-2001 |
"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have few virtues." Abraham Lincoln | ||
| webman | Re: Autos | 06-25-2001 |
| Now to the topic: The first car that I had was a 1970 Plymouth Sport Satellite. It was metallic green with a black vinyl top. I put an 8-track in it after deriding my friends for buying those new-fangled cassette players, (they'll never last). I put some air shocks on it, installed some cool red lights down under the dash for cruising. Damn, it was COOL! | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-25-2001 |
| Well, all right! We can rock with this one. As Falcon Edie revealed on this board, my first car was a white chevy. Unfortunately, it was not a '62 Impala. It was a white '64 Bel Air. No one else in town had one. I always used to say that if I'd ever decided to rob a bank, I'd have to get a different car. Everyone in TH (in that era) knew who drove it. True story from the end of the White Cheyv Era. Falcon Edie and I were driving home from Duluth, and we started getting woozy. Turns out we had a hole in the floorboard; a little CO for the ride home! We had a plate welded to the bottom of the car, and we kept on rolling. When I first took charge of the original white chevy, it had 17,000 miles put on it over a 7-year span. Over, the next 7 years, I put roughly 100,000 on it. As Drifter would say, it ran like a son of a bitch | ||
| Falcon Edie | Re: Autos | 06-25-2001 |
| Great thread Drifter! My name is based on the first car my older brothers (all three of them) and myself learned to drive in--a Ford Falcon. It was my grandmother's car and she decided to move up a notch to a Rambler! That car was great. My friends and I used to take it out to the Wourio (pardon the spelling) road and try to peel out. You kept one foot on the brake and the other on the gas, let go of the brake and proceed to get the Falcon up to 15 miles an hour in 30 seconds! We logged many loops on the old Falcon and my brothers broke it in for me real well. | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| Another story from the wayback machine. One of my H.S. buddies owned a green Chevy station wagon, affectionally called "The Woody." One Friday night in the middle of winter, he took us to Duluth to watch a UMD hockey game. The weather was awful. On the way there, we ran over a railroad switch. The impact threw someone's head (OK, it was Lumper) into the windshield. We regrouped and went on to the hockey game. On the way home, the Woody died - about a mile north of Lester River along the expressway. So my friend ripped the license plates off the car; he decided it wasn't worth keeping, apparently. We caught a ride to TH with some skiiers heading to Lutsen. To this day, I have no idea if my buddy got stuck with any costs for the Woody. I would imagine he did, but he never said a word. | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| A friend of mine drove a Chevy Nova in high school. Many fine memories in that car, but I recall an uncomfortable journey to White Lake one summer day. His heater was stuck in the full blowing - hottest position and you couldn't do anything to shut it off. Of course it was one of those rare days up north when it was actually steamy HOT. We had the windows down, but it didn't seem to help. I think I lost five pounds by the time we drove past Big Noise. | ||
| onlooker | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| 1969 Pontiac Ventura 2dr full size, 400 small block. It had an electric antenna and air that did not work very well. It was canary yellow when I got it. I painted it metalic blue, overhauled the engine, and of course, installed the 8-track stereo with the Pioneer three way speakers in the back. Had lots of fun in that car. I finally sold it after it was fixed up and bought a, ahemm, chevy vega. OK, someone slap me. | ||
| South Shore | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| Geez, you folks make me feel old ! My Dad's 1958 Chevy four door Belair was the car I learned to drive. That was traded for a 1963 Chevy Impala four door hardtop. What a car !!! Light green metallic paint...white leather interior...no door posts between the front and rear doors so when all the windows were down it looked so coooool. Then, for some unknown reason, Dad switched to a White 1963 Chrysler newport. Ugly ! Had what we called a "stab-o-matic" auto-transmission. A push button shifter. It's only redeeming feature was the 383 C.I. engine. Sucker went like a raped ape. Red interior. Big back seat. Then I bought my 1962 Buick. My very own wheels. Light green. Light green interior. Constant maintenance. I was proud of that car ! I the time (1967) my plan was to use it as what is now referred to as a "babe magnet". Unfortunately, most of the "babes" were non magnetic. Try as I might the North Shore virgins remained intact. Frustration was my middle name. Then the realization hit that the car was not the reason for my lack of "free love". I started washing and using deodorant and wearing clean clothes. Stopped being a "tough guy". The chicks started to come around. And stayed around ! Alas, I digress. Now I own a Ford 350 Super Duty and a Lincoln Towncar. Boring ! Pardon me while I surf the net and search for a 1963 Chevy Impala four door hardtop...light green metallic...white leather interior...you know, a babe magnet. | ||
| Nugget | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
I bought my first car the summer between my Sophomore and Junior years from Benna when it was (obviously)still across from Minnehaha. My folks were on a trip in Calif and the manager of the credit union tracked down my dad to see if he would co-sign the loan. It was a really hot  '72 Maverick with a three on the tree. (I still almost type Mustang). Anyway, the deal is struck and I go to Benna's to get the car. The point is, I had at that point no idea how to drive a three on the tree. (That's right folks, bought it WITHOUT a test drive). The salesman gives me the keys and I kind of putter around the car until he goes back into that attractive red shack thay had on the corner of the lot. I'm furiously paging through the manual trying to figure this thing out when the salesman comes out to ask if everything os ok. I tell him I'm just looking things over...eventually I get to the right page and figure out how to get the car off the lot. Danny Rustead (sp?) and Mark Johnson help me take care of some of the rust and put on pin stripes, fog lights and one of the cool stereos of the day, yes, the Pioneer KP500 with the really cool round dial. That car always started though, and it was more than once that my dad used it to jump his squad car on a cold winter morning. Over this last weekend I drove a friend's 2000 'Vet, and it just brought back tearful memories of the way that '72 Maverick would...oh, never mind A touch of yesterday's thread...new laws. People who toss their cigarette butts out the windows of their cars should have their fingers slammed in the ash tray of their car as a constand reminder that its there, and then they should be forced for a period of one year to drive a '72 Maverick. With a three on the tree. | ||
| Nugget | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| Southshore, that 'non magnetic' line had me rolling; that was nicely-written... | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| Well, we're playing dueling threads here again. Cue the banjo music, maestro! Anyway, while driving through the local mall parking lot this morning, I starting looking at the cars and thinking about our discussion here. While it sounds trite as hell to say it, the truth is they just don't make them like they used to anymore. To me, at least, cars tend to look very much alike now. It's different than it was 30 years ago, when Chevys and Fords and so on had a distinctive look about them. Of course, it's easy to distinguish the reincarnated VW Beetle, which they want 21 freakin' thousand dollars for. Well, that's my old fart moment for the day. Moving on now | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| You're right, TWC. I agree -- most cars these days look alike. The new Beetle and PT Cruiser might be the only exceptions. | ||
| happy | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| my brother was 15 - saved up his money and bought a ...duhhh, whatever kinda car. Anyways, being 15, he could only "stare longingly" from his bedroom window at this whatever kinda car until old enough to get his drivers license. One snowy night, he could take it no longer. Sneaking out the back door, he jumped in his machine and off he went down the alley. I guess it was then that 'lil bro realized he didn't know how to drive - ended up putting through somebody's garage (can't remember whose, though). Instead of fessin' up to his little fender bender with the garage, he decides to run ... and blame his car being parked half-way through this person's garage wall on the dirty rat that stole his car. Weelllll, the knock on the door in the wee hours of the morn was none other than TH's finest, looking for the boots that matched the boot prints they had followed all the way from 'lil bro's car to our back door. Hah. Needless to say, they found the boot; so did 'lil bro. Winded today, aren't I? | ||
| happy | Re: Autos | 06-26-2001 |
| damn typos..."putting it through" | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-27-2001 |
| Wasn't it Tim Nordskog who allegedly drove his Pinto in reverse from their home on 13th Avenue all the way to the high school? When is Ford going to bring back the Pinto?? | ||
| Kitty | Re: Autos | 06-27-2001 |
| Please don't kick me out of the board for this one, but my first car was a '73 Saab. I loved that car more than anything. Had it custom painted burgandy (I had a shiny jacket to match it) and thought I was some kind of cool chick in that thing. It was a blast to drive, front wheel drive an all. I lived 18 miles from town, and about half of those miles was gravel. In an attempt to always beat my best time to town, I'd slide my stern end around those corners like a son-of-a-bitch. Then one evening I met my friend Steve at the theater and saw Steven Kings "Christine" and never felt about my Saab the same way again. The movie totally freaked me out. Now I drive the most boring, unsafe car on the planet, a Corsica. On Monday after class, I stopped by the Chrysler dearlership and test drove a Jeep Liberty. They'd just gotten it in and it was already sold, but since I'd stopped in a few times inquiring about them, the guy let me take it for a ride. Way cool. I think it'll be my next vehical, unless I hear they explode on impact, or something. | ||
| Kitty | Re: Autos | 06-27-2001 |
| Your car stories are pretty funny, but what's with assigning a sex to your car? That must be a guy thing, eh? | ||
| Troy | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| I hate cars. Could someone give me a lift to the Brimson area? I can play a mean Stairway to Heaven on my Yamaha. | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Do any of you remember the Laws brothers, Ron and Steve? I'm not sure of the spelling or how long they actually lived in TH, but their knowledge of cars was encylopedic. One night at the Dairy Queen, Ron (I think) started talking about he could soup up a car if you did this, changed that. etc. Three sentences into this, I needed an interpreter. I was completely lost. If they're going to bring back a car, how about the Dodge Charger, which Barry Newman drove in that classic 70s flick "Vanishing Point." I saw that film in high school, and I thought it was pretty cool. Saw it again on cable not long ago, and I thought it was idiotic. Oh, well. | ||
| D. Johnson | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Who was the guy that drove that ugly Pacer around town and thought he was cool? I think he was a madrigal. | ||
| Agats | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| TWC: I too remember "Kowlski" in vanishing point. I always thought it was a Challenger that he drove. All white. Black interior. | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Agats, you may be right. During my latest viewing of "Vanishing Point," I was too enthralled by the dialogue to notice what car Kowalski was driving. | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| I always thought Steve McGarrett had the coolest car. I think it was a two-door Mercury…. maybe a Marquis? McGarrett was an amazing guy -- I never figured out how he always got the tires to squeal even in sand or on a dirt road. Hawaii Five-0 was a classic -- I liked the famous villain Wo Fat, and of course there was Kam Fong as Chin Ho. | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Yeah, Drifter, but you're forgetting about the immortal Zulu as Kono. He was the fourth banana in five-o and he had to weigh 350 pounds. Of course, among the really cool cars in cinema history was the one Steve McQueen drove in "Bullitt." That movie, of course, featured arguably the finest chase scene in history, not to mention Jackie Bissett. However, not a single actor changed expression for the entire movie. Weird | ||
| Skipper | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| No finer car than Wooderman's in "Dazed and Confused", if that show doesn't bring back memories..... | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Then again, there was "American Graffiti," which may have represented teen life in California in 1962, but in no way shape or form captured TH 10 years later. Maybe I hung out with the wrong crowd, but I didn't know a soul who drove a car that looked anything like what the "teens" in the movie used. Hell, the coolest car anyone had at that time was the Mustang convertible Dale "Benna" Johnson drove around. Then he moved! | ||
| Skipper | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Chev, is it true you ate more cheese balls at The Oasis than Gary Ben? | ||
| DOM | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Revenge of the Nerds was one of my favorites. "We've got bush!! We've got bush!!!" | ||
| DOM | Re: Autos | 06-28-2001 |
| Those cheese balls at Sidetrack were tasty but they backed up the ol' plumbing. I used to call them butt plugs. | ||
| Garth | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| Wooderman: "What I like most about High School chicks is that I get older, but they stay the same age." Ditto Skipper, "Dazed and Confused" is a great flashback. Check out "Detroit Rock City", another good one. | ||
| onlooker | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| Best car on TV, the Dukes of Hazard's Charger, (i think it was a Charger) that thing took a beating and always came away without a scatch. Every week it looked brand new. That Cooter must have been a great body man. Oh, that pedal car they on Gilligans Island was pretty cool too. | ||
| Skipper | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| Onlooker, you refer to the old General Lee, Ivan always dreamed of Cooter and Bob Precord fixing up a car for him, then he would make his play on Daisy Duke! | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| Onlooker - Nice touch regarding the pedal car on Gilligan's Island. Thanks for the laugh. | ||
| Ponds | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| We liked the Family Truckster on Vacation, especially after "Honky Lips" got spray painted on the side. | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| No, Skipster, the enitre family couldn't eat as many cheese balls at Gary Ben. We were competitive in the Oscar's Lunch Sweepstakes, French Fries Division. We used to order them to go a lot once upon a time, and for a while, they were fabulous. I would be remiss, of course, if I didn't point to the high-powered car driven by the Flintstones. Then there was the Starsky and Hutch car, the only redeeming thing in that show. Finally, a Do as I say, not as I do story. During my college days, two friends and myself decided to drive to St. Paul for a concert. We loaded a case of beer into the White Chevy and took off on what we called "The Champagne Flight." Well, we got there fine, except that when we arrived at the St. Paul Civic, there was a small, hand-lettered sign: "CONCERT CANCELLED." That's rock n' roll, boys | ||
| John Candy | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| "Park's closed. The moose outside shoulda told you so.." | ||
| Cousin Eddie | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| "I don't know why they say to mix hamburger with the hamburger helper. I think it tastes great just the way it is, don't you Clark?." | ||
| Captain America | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| Favorite TV car: Knight Rider anyone? David Hasselhoff in one of his finest acting roles! | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| I liked the car The Munsters had. Herman looked like a cross between Kevin McHale and Zeb Sellman. Eddie Munster -- best child actor of all time. | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| What happened to Torggy?? | ||
| Vas Defrens | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| Jed Clampet's truck was cool. So was the train on the TV version of Wild Wild West. What did the Man From Uncle drive? What did Honey West drive? Remember the cool squad car Brodrick Crawford had in Highway Patrol? Ten Four. | ||
| onlooker | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| Don't forget 007. Any motor strapped to his ass had so many accessories that you always wished you had one. Have a great weekend all. Post to ya on Monday. | ||
| Jim Rockford | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
| I can't believe none of you has mentioned my Firebird. It was worth more than my friggen trailer house. | ||
| Ponds | Re: Autos | 06-29-2001 |
The Brady's station wagon was the greatest. Greg Brady reminded us of one of the Michaelson twins. Too bad Mister Brady died of AIDS  Alice was hot. | ||
| TWC | Re: Autos | 06-30-2001 |
| Well, if we're gonna talk 007, it begins and ends with Goldfinger. That car had it all - machine guns, oil slicks, ejection seats. That sounds a lot like my old car! | ||
| Pussy Galore | Re: Autos | 06-30-2001 |
| Ahh, 007. What a stud. He liked to drive a stick. | ||
| Jaws | Re: Autos | 06-30-2001 |
| I will eat you all for lunch | ||
| Drifter | Re: Autos | 06-30-2001 |
| I guess it's fitting that I started this mess of a thread, so I will end it. Carry on, my Arbley friends!! | ||
