All About Pocket Knives

How about a thread where you tell the first car you ever owned and the favorite car you ever owned?

I’ll start us off:

First car was a 66 Skylark GS with the 401 nailhead.
The year was 1973 and I was 15 . The car belonged to my older sister’s boyfriend who I idolized. He wanted a newer Riviera and I got permission from my dad to purchase the GS. He sold it to me for $500 and let me pay him $50 per month until it was paid. Great memories in that car!!

Favorite car was several years later. The year was 1977 and I had been through 3 cars since that first one. I saw this beautiful 1969 Mach 1 sitting on the front row of a local car lot. Red with the flat black hood and reflective side stripes, mostly intact, looked great inside and out, 351 with factory 4 speed. It was love at first sight for a young fellow fresh out of high school. Wow! What a fun car to drive. I kept it until I got married the first time, then let her go for something more practical. Don’t EVEN ask what replaced it. It would cause me to have to tell a big fat lie

Okay, someone else take a turn.

Neither of mine are anything to brag about but here we go:

My first car was a 1968 Ford Galaxy 500 that I bought from the lady across the street in 1977. Paid $150 for it. It ran but it wasn’t in very good shape. I didn’t care though. I had a car!

I guess my favorite car would have been a 1998 Mazda Protege that I bought brand new in 1998. I drove it for 15 years and finally traded it in 2013. It’s the only car I ever bought brand new and that’s probably not gonna happen again.

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:44 pm Neither of mine are anything to brag about but here we go:

My first car was a 1968 Ford Galaxy 500 that I bought from the lady across the street in 1977. Paid $150 for it. It ran but it wasn’t in very good shape. I didn’t care though. I had a car!

Man, 500 ci's of power, what's not to like?

1967redrider wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 9:36 pm

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:44 pm Neither of mine are anything to brag about but here we go:

My first car was a 1968 Ford Galaxy 500 that I bought from the lady across the street in 1977. Paid $150 for it. It ran but it wasn’t in very good shape. I didn’t care though. I had a car!

Man, 500 ci's of power, what's not to like?

Is that what that means? I remember that it had a 390 motor in it. Or it might have been a 309. I don’t know my cars very well.

I was 17 and already spending 2-3 hours a day in high school auto and hot metal shops.
I learned to drive in my sisters mustang II fastback and my folks said they would pay for my car now, but I had already chosen years earlier when my moms friend bought a mach 1, and I was set on it. So they said, well we'll buy you a car but it wont be that one, if you want it you have to buy it yourself - so somehow I did. (in the meantime I'd sneak the keys and go do front wheel burnouts in moms 72 eldorado with the massive 502 engine (8.8 liter!) and occasionally sneak out in my dads 57 t-bird).

The 71 mach1 started in hunter green with a stock 351C engine, but I tuned it and built it and raced it, eventually I lowered it and then in the nights a close friend and I would do the body work and paint at Pete Santini's shop. (Pete is still rocking the auto world these days)

Sold it while in college, but had some great memories in that ride! (and I wouldn't know where to begin on my favs, holy cow)

I learned to drive in my mom's 1966 Dodge Coronet--slant six with three on the tree, and manual everything. But my own first car was a 1968 Dodge Polara with the 318 and an automatic. It had 70K on it when I bought it for $500, and I got $375 from insurance when someone rear-ended me. I never fixed it, and sold it for $125, after putting 70K on the clock. So I broke even, except for oil, brakes and alternators (I think it ate two at least while I had it).

It was yellow like a banana and big like a boat, so of course I called it the Banana Boat. I could haul seven people in that thing without using the trunk. With that many people in it, you'd put your foot down on the accelerator, someone would call to the engine room and ask for more power, and the car would shudder and slowly accelerate. If it wasn't uphill.

My favorite...I had a 1965 Mustang fastback 289 with a 4-speed that was a lot of fun to drive. But my idea of "favorite" has evolved, and my current car (a Civic sport from 2019) is quite reliable, has good pick-up when I want it, takes curves and corners like nobody's business, and gets close to 50 MPG. It's the right car for me at this point in my life. Boring? Maybe. But that's not always bad.

Railsplitter wrote: ↑Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:44 pm
My first car was a 1968 Ford Galaxy 500 that I bought from the lady across the street in 1977. Paid $150 for it. It ran but it wasn’t in very good shape. I didn’t care though. I had a car!

Oh - so was mine! White 4 door with beer bottle mags. That baby could haul! I paid $400 for mine - worth every penny.

My favorite car was a '65 Chevelle SS - Red with white interior. Owner before me converted from 3 on the tree to 4 speed stick. Man I miss that car. I still have the Hot Wheel though...small trophy.

Lots of first cars including mine, in this old thread. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=73982

My favorite has to be my 1930 Model A Ford Deluxe Coupe. It was my grandparents car, then my dad’s, (he restored it to the condition it’s in today). I have it now. Here it is all decked out for the Fourth of July Parade.

Ken

Nice old Ford Ken. You driving it in the parade?

I hope all you fellas have a wonderful time celebrating this great country’s independence. Fun, sun, good food, parades, fireworks and fellowship with family and friends!

Mumbleypeg wrote: ↑Fri Jul 04, 2025 3:47 am Lots of first cars including mine, in this old thread. https://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kn ... hp?t=73982

My favorite has to be my 1930 Model A Ford Deluxe Coupe. It was my grandparents car, then my dad’s, (he restored it to the condition it’s in today). I have it now. Here it is all decked out for the Fourth of July Parade.

Ken

A treasure and a beauty!

rugmar wrote: ↑Fri Jul 04, 2025 5:07 am Nice old Ford Ken. You driving it in the parade?

doglegg wrote: ↑Fri Jul 04, 2025 1:27 pm

A treasure and a beauty!

Thank you both, and yes - just got back from the parade. The car ran great, better than some of the newer “antique cars” - a few overheated. Mostly ran in first gear due to all the stop and go - parades are tough on cars.

That Model A can idle all day and not overheat.

Ken

First car was a 1966 Cutlass S with a 330 gold block.
Favorite was between two 69 Camarillo SS /RS or a 1977 Trans Am

Love the trans am and also love the ford truck sitting in front of it!

Thanks for posting!

Starting in 1985
1) the ‘70 Challenger Conv. 318 block, 340 heads & intake with a holley carb.
2) 1980 Z/28 355 4spd. Never put a built engine in a subframe car without putting in subframe connectors. Took T-tops out dumped the clutch and drivers side T-Top never went in easy again. And, yes the subframe was in great shape.
3) 1969 Buick GS 350 4 spd
4) 1969 Z/28 (302 was long gone) 350 M-22 and 12 bolt with 4.88 gears. Not much fun on the highway.
There were others scattered in here too, but not too cool.
This was a lifetime ago.

Now there sum American Iron Carman

garddogg56 wrote: ↑Mon Jul 07, 2025 10:20 am Now there sum American Iron Carman

I definitely miss being a car guy.

Carman getting one more for pleasure

garddogg56 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:13 am Carman getting one more for pleasure

What are you going to get? I have always wanted a firebird, formula or T/A. But, then again I have also wanted about 1,000 others. I just want a cruiser for me and the wife now, something to take the grandchildren out in.

WELl an AC Cobra or a 1960 Impala or a late fourties Dodge Powerwagon

garddogg56 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:47 pm WELl an AC Cobra or a 1960 Impala or a late fourties Dodge Powerwagon

Pretty different looks. We are hopefully going to be moving soon and I have about 500-1000 car magazines to unload. I’m keeping the ones from the 50’s & 60’s and a few of the ‘70’s.

This car is just about the exact opposite of the car I bought when I got out of the Army, mine was black with red pinstripes and a white vinyl roof. I may have a photo of it in an album somewhere but I'm not sure. I wouldn't say it's my favorite car but some good memories non the less.

garddogg56 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:47 pm WELl an AC Cobra or a 1960 Impala or a late fourties Dodge Powerwagon

Power wagon Power wagon POWER WAGON ! 40s-50s single cab , crew cab - all supercool.
Excellent mileage (you can get 4-5 mpg easily), cushy ride (at stop lights) - and nothing is going to get as many looks.
Kidding they aren't for everyone but they are just the coolest of trucks IMO.

SwedgeHead wrote: ↑Wed Jul 23, 2025 10:28 pm

garddogg56 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 08, 2025 10:47 pm WELl an AC Cobra or a 1960 Impala or a late fourties Dodge Powerwagon

Power wagon Power wagon POWER WAGON ! 40s-50s single cab , crew cab - all supercool.
Excellent mileage (you can get 4-5 mpg easily), cushy ride (at stop lights) - and nothing is going to get as many looks.
Kidding they aren't for everyone but they are just the coolest of trucks IMO.

Screenshot 2025-07-23 3.33.53 PM.png

Yeah I would definitely drive that. And, what a bugout vehicle if need be.

Swedgehed that’s beautiful

garddogg56 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 24, 2025 4:24 pm Swedgehed that’s beautiful

OH I didn't want folks thinking that was my ride, although I've thought about it, this was just a pic online
We have another car thread that shows all the current rides, including mine so I wont hijack this thread with pics.