Do You Still Have Your First Car?

[67ss350camaro]

I still have my first car (my 67) and my other 2 Camaros also, but unofficially the 97 is my oldest son's car now.

[Daytona Yellow 69 Z/28]

I still have my first car also. I was a 14 year old working at a car wash for 10 bucks a day. I had saved some money and bought my 68 SSRS 396 with the help of my dad. The guy I bought it from was a high school senior that going off to college and needed a truck so the car was put for sale. I gave 2500 for it in Feb 1980 & my dad & I fixed the front end where it had been wreck and had the local ford garage spray the car in 77 Corvette Yellow.




By October of 1980 I was finally driving the car and april 12" 1982 a lady with no insurance ran a stop sign driving a Buick wildcat and hit me broad side and wiped out the driver side quarter & door.  


We had the car fixed by the same ford garage and now that I am older and have learned to do my own paint body work realize was very poor job but at the time I thought it was a good repair.




I wrecked the car again in 1984 when an out of state  driver tried to pass me on the left as I was turning into a drive way, again no insurance. My insurance wanted to total the car but we wouldn't let them and paid out of pocked to fix it.  Once again the poor repairs were done at the same ford garage.

Years went by & I bought, built&  sold a to many to Camaros to count many of them much nicer that this old 68 but none of them as special to me.






Anyway in 2006 I had the car out at the drag strip and spun a bearing, I had been wanting to restore the car for many years but just never got to it so I made my self a promise that I would not fix the engine until I had completely restore the car. In 2009 I pulled the car apart, replaced the all the rear sheet metal and started on a 1 year restoration what has turned into a 5+ years.










anyway that is pretty much what the car looks like now, I have all the interior completely finished in 749 and I am finally getting started on rebuilding the big block. I have been documenting the build on youtube so that when I am older and can no longer go out and do this kind of stuff I can look back an enjoy the process again..
Sorry for the long winded post..
Nick

[NoYenko]

Nick I really get a kick seeing these old vintage pictures and hearing the interesting stories. Looks like you are doing a great job on the restoration also.
My first car was a hand me down from Grama to my father to me at 15. A 1956 PINK Cadilac. What a tank, my sister took out a 4" tree trunk and it didn't even dent the bumper. Car is long gone. But I watched one on Ebay, maybe some day I'l get another one. George

[BULLITT65]

Nick your car is looking real nice. It was worth the wait. good work my friend!

[ko-lek-tor]

Nick-That is a real inspiring story of "keeping the faith" and never giving up. Through thick and thin, trials and tribulation, a truly encouraging long relationship with your car.

George-Love that Caddy. Is that in Florida? Guessing by the house color and style. Like you love the old pics and stories.

[little_hoss]

Yes I still have my first car I bought back in 1988 for $750 when I was 16. My '67 was in rough shape when I bought it and it has come a long way. As far as sheetmetal goes, I had to replace the quarters, outer wheel wells, and the floorpans. Everything else on the car has also eventually been done through the years by me and my dad including the drivetrain and suspension, a complete interior, and the body and paint. The car currently has rally wheels, a 350 small block, and an M21 but I am planning in the future to re-do the paint to the original color of capri cream and install a '68 vintage 396 that I have. You can also see the rear end of my 1969 matching numbers 307 X44 car I picked up in Maryland back in 1995.

[NoYenko]

George-Love that Caddy. Is that in Florida? Guessing by the house color and style. Like you love the old pics and stories.

That was my Grand Fathers Florida car, their winter home in Hollywood Fl. was also pink & white, but the home in the picture was on their farm in Indiana. Home is still there but no-longer pink. George

[Daytona Yellow 69 Z/28]

Thank you for the kind words guys, I really wanted to let my oldest daughter use the car to take her drivers license test in it as I did, but didn't finish it in time. I still remember the look on the face of the lady @ the DMV when I showed up for the road test with a Big Block 4 speed Camaro and heck, the car was only 12 years old then. lol.. I really wanted to see her do the same thing as this car will go to her someday and I feel like it will make some great memories for the both of us.  

[69Z28]

These are the first 2 cars I bought when I first got back to the good old USA from overseas...so does this count? The 67 RS was completely apart when I found it in 83 but managed to put it back together and start on the body. I 'HAD' to get rid of this car and hated to do it but a divorce forced me to. Sad day in hell. It was a white car with gold interior 327 auto. The body was in really nice shape, just a few holes at the bottom of the quarters behind the rear wheels.

[Hideawaze]

Yes, still have my 68 RS. Bought it in 1980 gave 2k. Eventually the 327 smoked too much to pass inspection and I needed something newer for full time job, so put it away. Every time I had money up, to go thru it, something else came along...other Camaros, Vettes...and assault weapons , A man has to have hobbies.  So now that same 68 is going to be my retirement gift to self...probably take 401k to finish her.....all photos of cars past,were in albums that went underwater in a flood in 2001.. gave all the albums a Viking funeral  could not save them.

[X66]

I still have mine. 1969 X66. Bought it in 1988 and drove it for two years. It has been parked ever since and needs a lot of work. I am glad I found your site. The knowledge that exists here is amazing and has helped me a great deal. I have been on this site many times learning about my camaro and am glad to join this site.

[Carbuff]

I still have mine. I bought my 67 RS in 1980 for $1750. My parents paid half and I made payments to them till it was all paid off. It had fresh paint and stripes but no wheels and tires and no alternator. We came back the next week and it had 4 baldies and a rebuilt alternator. It had 3 lugs holding on each wheel. The guy said to take it easy. My (future) brother in law proceeded to smoke the tires in the parking lot. He looked at me after and said it was ok to buy it. LOL. I drove it through High school and college. It was the party car for me and all my friends. I eventually parked it in 1991 where it has sat til this day. I had not started it for 5 years and I finally got it running again. Brakes need all new hoses and cylinders and such. It might see the road again in the next year. Ive had at least 30 cars and trucks in between but this is the one Ive kept all these years.

[BULLITT65]

great stories ( Hideawaze, X66, Carbuff) but we are all picture hounds on here, post some pics of these beauties (please)... 

[Mike S]

For some reason, that I still don't know today, I was conservative when I first learned to drive in '73 so my first car was a '66 Buick sports wagon. Exciting, eh?
Anyhow...when I first felt a '67 396 Camaro under my derrière around 1978, I have since changed my car ownership habits :-)

Mike

[ko-lek-tor]

For some reason, that I still don't know today, I was conservative when I first learned to drive in '73 so my first car was a '66 Buick sports wagon. Exciting, eh?
Anyhow...when I first felt a '67 396 Camaro under my derrière around 1978, I have since changed my car ownership habits :-)

Mike

Good one. Mike,lol. For me, it was the seat back springs pushing into my back when I unleashed that Big Block torque! B.I.T.D.