Your first car you really did something with.

[Bandit127]

My first car was also my first build. 1977 Chevy Malibu Classic with the 305.



Not mine.

Had a white ragtop, dual glass packs, 4 flat tires with mixed wheels, and a shoddy body and paint.


Stripped the ragtop, which opened up a 100+ hour job of body work alone. Plus I had to do all the rest of the car's body, and thats a BIG CAR.

Stripped trim, re-sealed all the glass, tuned up the engine (before I really knew anything about anything engine) fiberglassed a new dash and interior panels, put new floorboards in and painted her in the driveway O' Hoes "Performance Red", but with a white bass coat and not enough red and not enough clear. So she came out Dairy Queen Dilly Bar Red more or less. No, not pink. at all.

And here she is done. (But I traded it to a friend for the 94 Camaro, but for specific reasons.)

[Everglades W68]

Re: Your first car you really did something with.

Looks nice. The story behind it is great.

The first car I drove was my parents 74 Bel Air with a 454 engine. That thing would start rusting if you sneezed on it and it sucked down gas like crazy. I was lucky to get above 10 MPG in it. I'd get up to 14 MPG if I drove all highway, with the windows up and keeping it at a steady 50 (BTW, it had no AC). It sounded good when I'd flip over the top on the air cleaner. I replaced the stock AM radio with an AM/FM/8 track stereo and Jensen 6x9 coaxials in the rear.

We re-painted it with an Earl Scheib special my senior year in high school. It started rusting under the new paint after about six months.

The 454 could light up the Sears Guardsman radial tires, however. :woot:

[nascar24jd]

Re: Your first car you really did something with.

My first car was a 1981 VW Rabbit Diesel. Great little car. 55mpg. It had every option available and ran like a champ. Great sound system, a CB, tinted windows, wide tires, and was super clean.
I got it when I was 15 and did the following work to it by myself before it could be put on the road:
New Clutch
New Starter
New Vacuum Pump
New Brakes
Adjusted Valves
New shifter linkage bushings
Installed block heater
On my 16th birthday I got my NY drivers permit and the car was on the road.

The first car that I modified was my 1982 Camaro. Did just about everything to it. Rims, paint, engine, trans, etc... It was fast to say the least.

[T-Mill]

Re: Your first car you really did something with.

I had an '89 Cavalier, but the only "mod" I really did was kick out the driver's side turn signal lens so that it matched the passenger side...

[Jtels2593]

Re: Your first car you really did something with.

1991 Pontiac Firebird, black, t-tops, blew the original 305 and rebuilt it only to put on another 40 miles before the rebuild blew. Ended up selling it for $700. That was in 2003.

[flamingchicken]

Re: Your first car you really did something with.

I had a 1973 VW superbeetle. I paid a grand for it. Didn't run, had dryrotted tires on it, spongy brakes, no interior, and none of the lights worked. Midway through it ran 0-60 in 23 seconds. When I for rid of it I could burn first, bark second and run mid nines in the 1/8th at 62mph. Ill never forget it, I drag raced it, caught it on fire, took it mud riding, all sorts of madness and it always got me where I needed to go... Plus I'm a VW master...lol