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What was your first car. Tell us your story


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I am currently scanning in all my old "real" photographs from the past and came across some of my old cars. Apart from my paddock bombs A TRIUMPH MAYFLOWER and a D48 DODGE which I used to terrorise the good people of Braybrook in when I was 16 or thereabouts.

I also found a couple of my first real car. a 1958 Standard Vanguard 4 cyl (actually a tractor engine apparently) Station wagon or I think it was called an Estate Wagon. It also had a flick swith on the column gear shift for an overdrive...How's that?

I purchased it from a place I used to work at (FRED ARMFIELD MOTORS Footscray BMC dealer and later to be the local DATSUN dealer)

It would be parked in our back yard until I got my licence but sure enough when Mum and Dad went out, the Vanguard would be out doing blockies.

When I finally did get my licence and at this stage in the army down at Balcombe, I would very quickly lose it again on an amphometer in Frankston, after ferrying my interstate army mates around.

I did however take it away on my honeymoon in 1968 to South Australia before losing the ticket.

Many stories belong to the old "mudguard" most of them good, but a few scary ones.

One can only thank the gods that there was no such things as WRX's or SKYLINES in those days, because there is no way I would be writing this little story today.

thevanguard_zps60028c6b.jpg

So come on, fella's dig out the old photo and lets see where this love of motoring all started from to get you where you are now.

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Great story Niko. Will have to see if I can find any pics of my first car. 1974 XB coupe with 351 ,like you ,bought 12 months before I turned 18 and I used to spend the weekend either washing and polishing it or driving it up and down our driveway, all 40 or so feet of it!!

C

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When I finally did get my licence and at this stage in the army down at Balcombe, I would very quickly lose it again on an amphometer in Frankston, after ferrying my interstate army mates around.

Niko - Didn't you tell them about that one joining the Force ? :)

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Great story Niko. Will have to see if I can find any pics of my first car. 1974 XB coupe with 351 ,like you ,bought 12 months before I turned 18 and I used to spend the weekend either washing and polishing it or driving it up and down our driveway, all 40 or so feet of it!!

C

A "supercar", Chris, wouldn't it be great if we all held onto our first car, yours would definitely be a keeper....if we only knew then what we know now. Great effort for a 17 year old to have the keys to one of those "big bangers"

Look forward to the photo.

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When I finally did get my licence and at this stage in the army down at Balcombe, I would very quickly lose it again on an amphometer in Frankston, after ferrying my interstate army mates around.

Niko - Didn't you tell them about that one joining the Force ? :)

Haha, I actually lost it twice, by the time I applied. ( I had been a FWitt) I thought if i can't beat them i may as well join them.

I did fess up when i submitted the application form, (with much trepadation) glad I did because when I was going through the academy at glen waverley, one of my fellow trainees was pulled out of the classroom about half way through the course. Banished back to civilian life, without his feet touching the ground,because he didn't tell them on his application form, that he had lost his ticket in his past. Moral of the story...(boring i know but) honesty is the best policy

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You always have great stories Niko !

I think I told you my family had a 63 EK auto wagon and thought they should get a manual for us to learn to drive in.

We saw a manual at the holden dealers we thought might be good they said.

What was it I asked - they replied " a GTR Torana " colour - Yellow Dolly ( a fav colour of yours ). YES PLEASE !

The night of the Co Ed school final year party I said I would be taking a couple of mates so mum said OK here are the keys to the Torana. I said no thanks, I might take the Wagon.

Dad found me putting up the Curtains in the Wagon - Looked at me, paused and then said " Don't do anything Stupid ! "

Needless to say when I left home to start work I was donated the Family Truckster. It had clocked up 200K miles when I swapped + cash for a RED 75 Gemini which I put Checkered stripes on.

FUN Days, Cheers Mark.

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GTR Torana, nice car to learn in. The L plates would have matched the dolly yellow.

Not a bad start to the road of no return.

I am having trouble visualising you in an Auto EK wagon......a grey motor AND curtains.

although probably just as much a fun car as the Toey....just in a different sociable sort of way.

I'd be happy with either of those cars now, even with the curtains.

Even the Gem with the chequered stripes.

Good story too, Mark......aarrhhh the good old days.

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Great thread...first for me was a grey mini 850 which cost $350, had red seats and sliding windows no less. Poor thing suffered a hard life with me culminating in a trip up to the van at bonnie doon to go water skiing, with three people in the car, our gear in one side of the back seat and the boot, and three water skis on a rack on the roof. We also had a met following on his motor bike because we had no room for him inside.

It rained so hard we had to stop at the old Glenburn pub to dry out the bike person, wrap him in a blanket and put him in the back seat whilst one of the other passengers rugged up to continue; by the time we got near Bonnie Doon the bush on the top link holding the motor in place had shat itself totally, meaning every time you changed gear, if you weren't really gentle the motor would rock back and forward.

That car managed to bring us all home safely however, and I'm sure the black horizontal stripe across the front of the bonnet made it go faster...!!

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My first car was a Ford Prefect circa 1950 model purchased for $10 when I was 13 or 14. The body was cut off and the fuel tank was a small can strapped to the spot where the windscreen used to be with a plastic pipe drip feeding fuel to the pump. Thrashed the living daylights out of it around a mates father’s trotting horse training track most nights after school. I’d never heard the of the word ‘oversteer’ - but boy, could I do it!

First road car at 17 was an FE Holden bought for $120 Still get misty when I see a nice one. I'll have a photo somewhere.

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White Suzuki 800cc hatch.Thats's right the big block not the puny little 600cc! I was not fussed about getting any photo's as it was just too plain dull. Still you could not kill it with a stick and $12 in fuel would last 2 weeks of leadfoot P plater stupidness.

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My vehicular history in chronological order:

1965 VW Beetle

1971 VW Beetle Super Bug

1974 VW Passat LS

1974 Alfa Romeo Alfetta

1985 Citroen 2CV6 Special

1992 Subaru DL Wagon

2005 Subaru Forester XS (current)

2003 Porsche Boxster (current)

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Niko, I have a confession.

First car I owned was 626 coupe.................Yellow!!!!!!!!!!

That is very surprising T man, I would have thought a VC VALIANT, with pom poms around the back window and a box of tissues on the parcel shelf......

desismileys_4421.gif

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See Niko - they are all starting to admit and show their (YELLOW) Colours !

Your right Mark, the other thing that I also just realised is my first car the "Mudguard" also had yellow in it. Not quite speed yellow but yellow just the same....

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shit i`m old , first car my Grandfathers FJ ( full of rust) and very slow hence my preference for bikes. I got my licence on that kawasaki

Great photo Steve, love the old FJ. Re the Kwaka, I Have to admit I have never been on a horse or a motorbike.

Probably missed something there, but in the end I still have all my fingers and toes. Thanks for the great photo

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White Suzuki 800cc hatch.Thats's right the big block not the puny little 600cc! I was not fussed about getting any photo's as it was just too plain dull. Still you could not kill it with a stick and $12 in fuel would last 2 weeks of leadfoot P plater stupidness.

I am having serious trouble relating you to that one Uncle.....

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My first car was a Ford Prefect circa 1950 model purchased for $10 when I was 13 or 14. The body was cut off and the fuel tank was a small can strapped to the spot where the windscreen used to be with a plastic pipe drip feeding fuel to the pump. Thrashed the living daylights out of it around a mates father’s trotting horse training track most nights after school. I’d never heard the of the word ‘oversteer’ - but boy, could I do it!

First road car at 17 was an FE Holden bought for $120 Still get misty when I see a nice one. I'll have a photo somewhere.

AARRHH the old FORD DEFECT, great story, looking forward to the photo of the FE, $120.00 can't complain at that price.

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Great thread...first for me was a grey mini 850 which cost $350, had red seats and sliding windows no less. Poor thing suffered a hard life with me culminating in a trip up to the van at bonnie doon to go water skiing, with three people in the car, our gear in one side of the back seat and the boot, and three water skis on a rack on the roof. We also had a met following on his motor bike because we had no room for him inside.

It rained so hard we had to stop at the old Glenburn pub to dry out the bike person, wrap him in a blanket and put him in the back seat whilst one of the other passengers rugged up to continue; by the time we got near Bonnie Doon the bush on the top link holding the motor in place had shat itself totally, meaning every time you changed gear, if you weren't really gentle the motor would rock back and forward.

That car managed to bring us all home safely however, and I'm sure the black horizontal stripe across the front of the bonnet made it go faster...!!

Great story also Peter, sliding window mini's there wouldn't be many of them around now.

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